Family Ties
by M. Newman
Summary: Why isn't Andromeda Tonks in the Order of the Phoenix? A story about her reaction to Sirius' betrayal.


**Family Ties**

_1 November 1981_

_I have decided to write everything down as a record of these amazing yet turbulent times. I suppose I ought to warn you; although I will do my best to keep this record clear of any personal biases, I am only human and my views will doubtlessly slip in. I also suppose that I ought to start at the beginning rather than the middle. It all began on All Hallow's Eve, when I was informed of the murders of my good friends, Lily and James Potter, for the sake of an infant._

31 October 1981

As a group of friends, comrades, and acquaintances joined together to celebrate All Hallow's Eve in the cold year of 1981, bright lights flashed by the window going up towards the Kent sky. The Order of the Phoenix members drew up their wands and waited quietly like a panther lying in wait. _'Thank Merlin Nymphadora is at school,'_ Andromeda Tonks thought desperately as she motioned desperately for her husband, a Muggle, Ted Tonks, to hide. He characteristically ignored her and pulled out a revolver.

A moment later, the "attacker" showed himself by barging through the door singing loudly. The Muggleborns recognized it as "Ding, Dong! The Witch Is Dead" from _"The Wizard of Oz."_

"Dedalus, you idiot!" Arabella Figg screeched. "Could you have compromised our location any better?"

Dedalus Diggle seized Arabella's hands and began swinging her around singing, "He died! He lived!"

At least he wasn't singing anymore, thank Merlin.

Andromeda Black Tonks was forced to slap him across the face saying, "We won't live much longer if we don't leave soon! The Death Eaters-"

"Death Eaters, Shmeath Eaters! Those silly little Corpse Munchers will never touch us again!" He proclaimed loudly and kissed Minerva McGonagall, who also slapped him.

"Mr. Diggle! Kindly start explaining," Minerva said coldly and shot ice cold water at him out of the tip of her wand. Dedalus pouted, but quieted down.

"He-who-must-not-be-named is no more!"

The shocked group gasped in unison and stared at him in shocked silence. Molly Weasley was the first to break out of her trance and hit him with the bat-bogey hex.

"That was a cruel joke to play," she snapped before removing the hex a moment later.

"But it's true!" Diggle protested wildly. "I swear it is! You can question me under Veritaserum if you like, but I swear to you that He-who-must-not-be-named is dead!"

The entire group raised a collective eyebrow at this. Alastor Moody stepped forward and produced a vial of truth serum from one of his pockets.

"This way we will get the absolute truth," he explained. "No possibility of mistakes, either."

After administering the serum, Moody asked, "Can you hear me, Diggle?"

"Yes," Dedalus lifelessly droned.

"Good. Diggle, tell me. Is the Dark Lord dead?"

"Yes," Dedalus answered monotonously as we all froze.

"How…" Alastor's voice trailed off. He didn't seem capable of finishing his sentence. He swallowed and tried again. "How did this… _miracle_ occur?"

"No one knows. Or at least, no one _living_ knows. You-know-who broke into the Potters' house a few hours ago, killing James and Lily. He tried to kill Harry, but for some reason, he couldn't."

"Where is Harry?" Remus asked with a cracking voice. He was trying to steady himself with a hand on the nearby wall. Ted went over in a vain attempt to help him; although he seemed near collapse, he shook off Ted's help.

"Hagrid took him to live with his relatives on Lily's side."

"My God, we're free," Arabella whispered.

_2 November 1981_

_Albus, how could you believe those lies about my only decent cousin?_

The Daily Prophet _says that Sirius betrayed Lily and James, but we both know better… don't we?_

_Sirius is just as his name suggests; he is loyal and strong. His Light shines true, as bright as the star he was named for, but Azkaban will quench that Light like a fire under water. You of all people know the demons Sirius has faced down._

_Maybe that's why you think he could possibly do something like this. Because of the loads that that poor man has had to carry, the storms he has weathered, you think that he has bent under the pressure._

_Well, you're wrong._

_We Blacks are made of stronger stuff and I refuse to let an innocent man be punished for the murders of his best friends! I am leaving at this very moment for Hogwarts!_

2 November 1981

Andromeda Tonks sat outside the gargoyle door for half an hour until her daughter happened to wander by on her way to class.

"Mum, Kingsley said that Sirius was bad and that he killed people. Is that true?" Nymphadora asked innocently.

"No, Nymphadora. Sirius has always been a good man. If he wasn't good, do you honestly think that I would let him mind you when you were little?" Andromeda responded. Nymphadora wrinkled her nose at the use of her given name, but ignored it.

"No, I suppose not. Why are you waiting in front of Professor Dumbledore's door?"

"Because I don't know the password and he appears to be ignoring me," Andromeda responded with a slight irritated edge to my voice.

"The password is 'Sugar Quill.' Maybe he just didn't see you," Nymphadora offered optimistically.

"No, he has a spell that alerts him to if there is someone waiting at the door. However, he sometimes lets students sit out here a little while to let them think about what they have done. And how do you know the password, anyway? Are you in trouble again?" Nymphadora bit her lip and began backing away.

"You know, Mum, I'm probably late for class. I'd better run. See you at holidays!" she shouted over her shoulder as she dashed off to some class, if she even had one at all. I smiled as she turned to that damnable gargoyle.

"Sugar Quill," she said smugly. Andromeda made my way up to Dumbledore's office and knocked on his door.

Nothing happened.

Andromeda knocked again to no avail. Finally, she shouted, "Albus Dumbledore! I waited by your gargoyle long enough, I refuse to wait by your door a moment longer!"

Silence reigned.

Just as she was about to open the door, Albus opened it for her.

"Welcome," he said tiredly. "I assume you have come regarding my statement about Sirius?"

"I have indeed," Andromeda replied haughtily. "Although I believe that the word "_betrayal" _is a much better word to use than statement in this case."

Albus sighed wearily and stepped back to allow Andromeda in. She swept past him and perched on the edge of an enormous easy chair. Albus rolled his eyes at her theatrics, but sat behind his desk.

"I would never have guessed that Sirius would betray him, either. But as the evidence stands, there can be no other possibility. You don't understand-"

"No!" Andromeda burst in, forgetting her pure-blood training. "_You_ don't understand! This treachery is impossible. He was far more loyal than any other of James friend. He could not have, _would_ not have fallen under the Dark Lord's command. He would rather have died than betray his friends!"

"I realize that Sirius was your favourite cousin, but-"

"Are you going to leave him to the wolves, then? Has it even occurred to you that you could have made a mistake, that you are not all-knowing?" By this point, Andromeda was standing, her cold grey eyes burning.

"And has it occurred to you, Mrs. Tonks, that I may have more information than you? Has it occurred to _you_ that you may be just a tad prejudiced towards your family members?"

At this, Andromeda leaned over Albus' desk and said venomously, "I _know_ my family. If I was biased in favour of my family, do you _really_ think that I would be standing here talking to you? I would probably be helping the Lestranges with their insane plans to "help the Dark Lord."

I may not be a part of the family anymore, but I refuse to abandon the few good family members that I have left."

With that, Andromeda spun on her heel and stalked out.

At the very moment that Albus was closing the door behind Andromeda, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were shouting at each other.

A green light flashed quickly behind where Sirius was standing. Peter nodded, accepting the signal and replied with his dramatic "last words." He shouted at the top of his lungs for all to hear, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" Quick as a flash he severed his finger and changed into his Animagus form. He sped through the sewers, happy to hear the satisfying blast obliterating his childhood friend.

The Death Eater who had caused the explosion angrily noted that Sirius Black was still alive before disapparating.

Sirius Black laughed at the absurdity of it all. He, James Potter's most loyal friend, was accused of murder! Ridiculous. Fortunately, everything would come clear in his trial. As the Aurors immobilized him, he sobered as he thought of his godson.

"_I'm coming, Harry. Just hold on."_

2 November 1981

Crouch looked at the weeping prisoner before finishing his sentence. He cleared his throat, "Hem hem. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," he glared at the sobbing man, "there is clearly no need for a trial. Albus Dumbledore has shown this man's guilt; indeed I fail to imagine a worse betrayal. I declare this man to guilty of all charges." Crouch addressed Sirius for a final comment, "You are a murderer of the worst sort. I condemn you to Azkaban. May you rot there."

Andromeda began weeping as well and ran towards her cousin before being restrained by several Aurors.

"You don't understand! He's innocent! He's innocent!" she wailed. Sirius turned towards her while the Dementors came towards him to take him away.

"Andi, forgive me. I should not-" Sirius began, but the Dementors seized his arms cruelly; Sirius' eyes closed as he collapsed under the weight of his own innocence, unfair punishment ahead of him, and the prospect of a life without the Potters.

_3 November 1981_

_Albus! How could you ignore his cries? How could you brush off his pleas for mercy? He has just lost his best friend and now you are sentencing him to a life alone in hell. Perhaps you and his so called "best friend" have abandoned him, but I will never let go of him._

Andromeda sat down to write a letter to her daughter's headmaster.

3 November 1981

Headmaster

Tomorrow at noon I am coming to Hogwarts to collect my daughter. Please tell her that I am coming so she can be prepared for Azkaban.

Andromeda Tonks

Andromeda called over her owl and sent it to Hogwarts as she began her own preparations.

4 November 1981

Andromeda arrived at Hogwarts at 11:50. After consulting Professor McGonagall, she made her way to the dungeons to meet her daughter after she came out of Potions.

After five minutes, the students rushed out of the door, laughing and talking loudly. "Nymphadora!" she called loudly. A small group of Slytherins began laughing at Nymphadora as if cued before being silenced by Andromeda's cold glare.

Nymphadora muttered, "Definitely changing my name," before facing her mother.

"Nymphadora, we are going to Azkaban. You have been excused from all classes and don't worry about lunch. Meet me back here when you have put away your belongings in the Tower," Andromeda informed her daughter regally.

"Are we going to see Sirius?" Nymphadora excitedly exclaimed.

Andromeda smiled at her daughter. "We will if you're ready fast enough."

Nymphadora nodded and ran down the forbidding corridor. Andromeda walked into the Potions classroom to find Severus neatening his desk.

"Andromeda! What a pleasant surprise," Severus exclaimed. "Do come into my office."

"I can't stay long," Andromeda replied as she entered Severus' office. Unlike her daughter, she had been in Ravenclaw and was, therefore, not subject to the same intense dislike Slytherins showed Gryffindors. Andromeda suspected that the fact that she was a pure-blood helped matters out. The two friends were content to quietly sipping a cup of tea.

"How can I help you?" Snape asked pleasantly once they had finished.

"How can you believe in him?" Andromeda blurted.

"Pardon?"

"Dumbledore. How can you believe in Dumbledore?" Andromeda asked impatiently.

"I don't," Severus replied simply. "I merely believe that he is far better than Voldemort, wouldn't you agree?"

"But do you really think that Sirus could do something like that?" Andromeda asked, desperate to know if she was the only one who thought that Sirius was innocent. Snape laughed and shook his head.

"Of course not! He was so disgustingly loyal, I'm surprised that he wasn't in Hufflepuff."

"Why didn't you say that to Dumbledore?" Andromeda said heatedly.

"He said that I had no proof either way. He also said that someone may be 'disgustingly loyal,' but that does not mean that they are loyal to you. They could be loyal to someone else like the Dark Lord," Snape answered calmly. "But really, Andromeda, is it prudent to discuss such things in his school?"

"Walls have ears, you mean?"

"Not just walls. Doors as well," Snape replied and pointed at Nymphadora who was waiting in the classroom.

"Thank you very much for everything, Severus. We really ought to have lunch sometime," Andromeda said as she and Severus left the office. "Are you ready to go, Nymphadora?"

"Yes," Nymphadora said quietly, intimidated by Severus' presence. Andromeda rolled her eyes and hugged Severus good-bye.

"Good bye, Professor," Nymphadora said softly. Sensing his friend's daughter's fear, he smiled kindly.

"Good bye, Nymphadora," Severus said warmly.

Andromeda held her daughter's hand tightly as Aurors escorted them to the lowest level where they kept "lifers," those who had been condemned to Azkaban for life. Finally, they reached Sirius' cell. The Auror conjured two chairs for them to sit on and left them.

"Sirius!" Nymphadora shouted in her innocent, childish voice. A broken man looked up and a smile slowly slid across his still handsome features. He looked as though he hadn't smiled in years even he had just gotten in.

"My dear Dori," Sirius replied with a scratchy voice.

"Sirius, please don't use that awful name. It isn't seemly. Nymphadora is a lovely name. I remember when I was small, I resented my mother for giving me a name like Andromeda. However, I love it now," Andromeda lectured pompously as Sirius and Nymphadora rolled their eyes. "And if you call me Andi once more, I may be forced to kill you."

"But you'd probably fail and then I'd have some company, here," Sirius responded lightly.

The three family members continued their light conversation until an Auror came and said, "I apologize, Mrs. Tonks, but Miss Tonks here will have to go to the nursery. Children are only allowed to visit the... er… violent prisoners for an hour at the most."

Andromeda asked Nymphadora, "Do you mind if I stay a little longer and chat with my cousin?"

Nymphadora shook her head. She reached out to Sirius, but was stopped by the Auror.

"Please don't touch the prisoners, miss. You never know what they may do," the Auror said kindly.

"Not Sirius!" Nymphadora exclaimed. The Auror laughed, but didn't express his feelings in front of the child. After a final farewell, Nymphadora allowed herself to be led away by the Auror. Sirius gazed after her with loving eyes.

"Does she really believe that I'm innocent?" Sirius asked quietly.

Andromeda reached through the bars to touch Sirius' hand. "Yes, she does."

Sirius turned to look at his cousin. "Do you?"

"With all my heart. I never doubted you for a moment."

After a moment's pause, Andromeda had to ask Sirius something that had been on her mind since the hearing. "Sirius, why did you ask for my forgiveness?"

Sirius was quiet for so long, Andromeda thought that he must not have heard her. However, before she repeated herself, he answered her slowly and sincerely. "It's all my fault Lily and James are dead. I _told_ them to switch Secret-Keepers. I just wanted to trick _HIM_, but it didn't work. How could I have trusted him, how could I have even let him near Harry-"

"Sirius! Calm down! You're babbling," Andromeda barked. "Slow down and start over. What's this about Secret-Keepers and switching?"

Sirius breathed deeply and began again, clearly greatly agitated. "You know, of course, that Lily and James had Secret-Keepers? Well, originally, I was supposed to be the Secret-Keeper-"

Andromeda inhaled sharply. "What do you mean by 'originally'?"

"I convinced Lily and James to switch. I was convinced that You-Know-Who think that I was the Secret-Keeper. I told them to switch to Peter, I said that You Know Who would never suspect little Peter. The irony is killing me, literally."

Andromeda was still in shock. When she finally broke out of her stupor, she asked, "What about Dumbledore? He was certain that he had evidence that I know nothing about."

"Dumbledore had no idea. Nobody knew about the switch, not even Dumbledore," Sirius said regretfully. "It was Peter's idea not to tell Dumbledore, in case the enemy got its hands on Dumbledore's Pensieve with the memory in it." Sirius snorted in disgust. "I can't believe I ever trusted that rat."

Andromeda stood abruptly from her chair and announced loudly, "I am going to go tell Dumbledore that, then! There is no way I am going to allow him to let an innocent man stay in Azkaban!"

Sirius reached through the bars and gently pulled her closer. He spoke in a quiet, resigned whisper. "Please be quiet! You don't want to attract the Dementors. Even if you did go to Dumbledore, why should he believe you? James and Lily told them before they died that I was their Secret-Keeper. Why should he believe my word?"

"I will make him believe you!" Andromeda whispered passionately back.

Sirius smiled at his beloved cousin. "Andi-" Andromeda scowled and Sirius smirked. "Andi, why would he believe my cousin if he wouldn't believe me?

"And even on the off chance that Dumbledore did believe you, what could he do? I've already been sentenced. There is _nothing_ that anyone can do."

Andromeda settled back in her chair. "Do you really not want me to tell Dumbledore?"

"Yes," Sirius said firmly. "Let Peter's memory stand in peace."

"But, Sirius, he betrayed you! How can you possibly allow everyone to believe that that… that traitor was an innocent victim?"

"Maybe Pettigrew didn't deserve to leave a memory of innocence, but his mother certainly should have the right to believe that he was innocent. He's dead, anyway. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Sirius-"

Before Andromeda could finish her statement, an Auror interrupted her. "Mrs. Tonks? Visiting hours are over."

"We'll come see you next week, all right?" Andromeda asked as she stood up regally.

"Please don't bring Nymphadora. I shudder to think of her seeing a Dementor," Sirius pleaded.

"All right. I love you, Sirius. Nothing will ever keep me from you," Andromeda promised.

"Nothing except Azkaban, right?" Sirius joked.

"Not even Azkaban," Andromeda replied fiercely. "I will always love you."

"I love you, too, Andi."

4 November 1981

Andromeda followed her daughter into the Hogwarts Great Hall. She wryly noted that they had arrived just in time for dinner as Nymphadora ran to the Gryffindor table to join her housemates. Andromeda's authoritative figure attracted much attention from all houses as she walked majestically like a queen of old towards the higher table facing the rest of the Great Hall. Only Professor Flitwick stood to greet her.

"Andromeda!" he exclaimed gleefully to his favourite student. "We have missed you! You were quite an exemplary student in Charms."

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick," Andromeda said sweetly. "I have always remembered Charms fondly."

"Why are you here?" Albus interrupted tiredly.

"I need to speak with you privately," Andromeda said icily.

"Very well." Albus led her to his office and sat behind his imposing desk upon which Andromeda slammed an object containing considerable magic.

"I am turning in my badge and resigning from the Order."

The "badge" in question was an automatic portkey when the correct password was given, had tracing spells, a two-way communications line, and an "eavesdropping" charm placed on it. If any Order member went into a dangerous situation, the rest of the Order knew exactly where they were if the Order member in danger could not portkey out, could communicate with him or her, and could listen to anything going on around him/her. If a member was caught without it, he or she would be very vulnerable.

"No one can resign from the Order."

Andromeda glared at her former mentor. "Would you prefer that I refuse to go on any missions or, if I actually do go, purposely mess them up?"

Albus sighed and leaned further back in his chair. "Why did you join, then?"

"I had no idea when I signed onto your little campaign that I would end up being forced to betray my own cousin if I stayed with you!" Andromeda exploded. "I refuse to ally myself any longer with a group that can condemn an innocent man to hell on earth without losing a moment's sleep!"

"You are welcome to leave, then. Forcing you to honour your Witching Contract will do nothing other than sabotage the mission," Albus said, coherently for once. "It would be detrimental to The Cause to allow you to stay."

"I have just one more question. Why didn't you allow Sirius to get a trial? I know that Crouch didn't want to give him one, but you could have done _something_," Andromeda couldn't help beseeching.

The old man gave her a hard look with none of its usual twinkle. "Because when Sirius turned the Potters over, he didn't just betray his friends. He betrayed _me_, and that I can never forgive. _Nemo me impune lacessit._ I trust that your pure-blood," he spat the word pure-blood out like filth, "education has trained you to understand Latin." Albus' usual style of speaking (incoherent rambling) was replaced by an uncharacteristic harshness.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Albus, we have reached a parting the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I­­-- I shall act as I see fit."

"And what of your daughter?"

"She will continue to attend Hogwarts and I will let her form her own opinion of you. If you ever discover the truth, please feel free to communicate me. Until then, do not contact me outside matters concerning my daughter's education. In return, I will do the same."

Albus nodded. "That plan of action seems best for best for both parties."

"Farewell, then," Andromeda said frostily. Albus merely nodded his goodbye as he watched his most promising protégé since the days of James Potter and Sirius Black leave.

Quote from "The Parting of the Ways," Goblet of Fire.

11 November 1981

Again, Andromeda greeted her beloved cousin through the cold metal bars. Sirius was obviously much worse than he had been the week before, but he was ecstatic to see her. He could see that she was eagerly brimming with news.

"What happened? Did you find Avalon?" Sirius asked sarcastically. Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"No, even better. I finally quit that bloody group of Dumbledore's."

"Andi! Why did you do that?" Sirius gasped.

"The only reason I signed on was because I trusted him. When he betrayed you, he also betrayed _me_," Andromeda said bitingly, thinking of Dumbledore's contemptuous words from the week earlier.

"He didn't betray me, though!"

"Yes, he did. He washed his hands of you. He could have gotten you a trial, but he refused to see the truth!" Andromeda said disgustedly.

Sirius winced as he had been struck and looked away. Andromeda quickly grabbed his arm and attempted to reassure him, "He doesn't matter. Maybe our parents were wrong about most things, but they were right in one regard- Family is most important. If you have your family, you don't need anyone else."

Sirius looked back at his cousin and said, "Right or wrong, your statement means a lot to me. It means so much for me to know that someone believes me, that _someone_ still loves me." Sirius began to laugh. "Finally, you show some family loyalty and it's to the one sent to Azkaban on murder charges!"

Andromeda scowled at Sirius, but he continued to laugh.

"If only Grandmére and Grandpére knew that all they had to do to secure your loyalty was to send someone into prison, they probably would have done that a long time ago," Sirius said, nearly howling with delight.

"May I remind you that you are all alone and defenceless and that I have a wand?" Andromeda warned Sirius icily with a cold glint in her eye. He stopped laughing outright immediately, however he was still huffing out barely suppressed laughter a minute or two later.

After a moment's pause, Andromeda asked Sirius, "Why are you so happy to see me?"

Sirius stared at her like she had gone mad. "What on earth are you talking about? You're my cousin, of course I'm happy to see you."

Andromeda leaned forward in her chair. "Sirius, am I the only one to visit you this week?"

Sirius bit his lip and lowered his head. "Yeah," he admitted quietly.

"So no one in Dumbledore's band of merry men has come to visit the one who has sacrificed _everything_ for them?" Andromeda stood up to better rant. "Has no one thought to investigate whether or not you were innocent? I believed in you, Sirius, why can't they?"

"I don't know," Sirius whispered softly. He looked like he was on the brink of tears. Andromeda reached her hand through the bar and touched the top of his head, ignoring the Auror keeping watch over the "dangerous criminal" yelling at her to step away from the bars.

"Sirius." He looked up forlornly and her hand moved to his cheek. "Sirius, how could I possibly stand to be in their presence when they have turned their backs on the only decent member of my family?"

The Auror interrupted them by seizing her arm and yanking it back onto the visiting side of the bars. "Ma'am, you aren't allowed to do that! I'm afraid I'm going to have to escort you out, now."

"Let me just say good bye to him, please?" Andromeda pleaded. The Auror reluctantly stepped back but kept an unrelentingly watchful eye on the two.

"Sirius, I love you. I'll be back next week, all right?"

"You will?" Sirius asked delightedly. "I'm looking forward to it already," he finished eagerly. Andromeda smiled and turned to leave. "Andromeda? I love you, too."

15


End file.
